Urgent ammonia is still high

[orfan]

Dears:
My tank water tests show the following;
Ammonia : 0.4 ( test it on two different test kits )
Nitrite: 0.0
Nitrate : 20
Why ammonia is still showing in the tank ?
Please reply urgently.
Regards.
Orfan

[pcsb23]

How long has the tank been running? How do you do your w/c? do you sue tap water with conditioner? How many fish in it?

Paul.

[Timbo]

orfan

you should use one thread, not three
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=47111
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=47787
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=47790

that way people can keep track of your situation and maybe help...just a thought

[orfan]

it was running for the last three month with one pair of 4 inch , i do 25% daily w/c .I use direct tap water without any conditioner , I just aerate it for 36 hour and then add it to the tank .
orfan

[ShinShin]

Does your tap water have ammonia in it? Have you tested it?

[orfan]

My tap water is free of ammonia , as I already test it
Orfan

[pcsb23]

Orfan, how do you filter the tank, when you do w/c do you clean the filters? if so how? How big is the tank? Sorry for all the questions.

Paul.

[orfan]

Hi Paul:
I have a sponge filter in 20 gallon tank , I clean the filter once a week by squeesing it in the tank .
Regards.
Orfan

[Ardan]

I take some water out of the tank in a bucket , then squeeze the sponge in the water in the bucket and throw away that water.

hth
Ardan

How many fish in this tank?

[Bainbridge Mike]

Well, if you don't have ammonia in your source water, then your biofiltration has gotten out of wack. The biofilter is a balance between the amount of available food (ammonia/nitrite) and the amount of bacteria. You have either had an increase in food (additional fish waste, a dead fish or extra decomposing food) or a decrease in the number of bacteria (cleaning your filter can do this, so can certain medications).

Unless you have another cycled sponge filter you can add, you need to do frequent water changes to keep the ammonia in check until the bacteria can catch up again. There are also numerious water conditioners you can add that will neutralize the ammonia. As others have suggested, cleaning the filter in the tank is not a good idea, and could cause an increase in ammonia from the decomposing mulm.

Hope this helps

Mike

[pcsb23]

Orfan, like Ardan says, in a bucket of tank water then ditch the water.

Paul.

[orfan]

Dear Ardan:
The tank has one pair only , Any how I will follow your advise now and will send you the test results.
Thanks .
Regards.
Orfan